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Mediation and ADR

Certified mediator

Also called court-certified mediator

A mediator whom a court or other body has certified as meeting its standards for training, experience and conduct. In Florida the state Supreme Court certifies mediators; in Virginia, courts refer cases to mediators certified under the Judicial Council's guidelines.[1][2]

In more detail

Certification means different things in different places. Maryland's mediator standards define it as a decision by a public or private body that a mediator meets its criteria, and say a training certificate alone is not certification.[3] Many states don't certify mediators at all; their courts keep rosters or approved lists instead, so MediationList calls those mediators court-listed rather than certified. Florida's chief judges keep lists of Supreme Court-certified mediators registered in each circuit.[4]

Varies by state

Only some states certify mediators. Each state page explains what its official roster means. Find your state’s rules.

Related terms

  • Mediator certificationA decision by a public or private body that a mediator meets its criteria, which may be based on observed skills, training and experience, or both.
  • RosterAn official list of mediators a court or agency keeps for referrals or appointments.
  • Continuing mediator education (CME)Training a certified or court-listed mediator must keep taking to stay certified or on a court roster.
  • Court-appointed mediatorA mediator the court chooses for a case, usually when the parties don't pick one themselves.

Read next on MediationList

Sources

The official documents this definition is based on, with the date we last read each one. Definitions are in our own words.

  1. Fla. Stat. § 44.106 (Standards and procedures for mediators and arbitrators)leg.state.fl.uschecked ↩
  2. Standards of Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Certified Mediators (eff. July 1, 2011)vacourts.govchecked ↩
  3. Maryland Standards of Conduct for Mediators (eff. Jan. 1, 2020)mdcourts.govchecked ↩
  4. Fla. Stat. § 44.102 (Court-ordered mediation)leg.state.fl.uschecked ↩

General information, not legal advice. MediationList is not a law firm. Spotted an error? Tell us.

Cite this page

Page updated

MediationList. (2026, October 28). Certified mediator: Definition. https://mediationlist.com/glossary/certified-mediator/

APA 7th ed. A retrieval date is included only for pages whose content changes, such as maps, data and tools.